Comparative Questions?

  1. Compare and contrast the reading “Widows Loyal unto Death” (Document 13-5) with The Tale of Genji (Document 13-2). In what ways did Chinese and Japanese societies have similar expectations for wives? In what ways did those expectations differ?
  2. Both Marco Polo (Document 12-3) and Chau Ju-Kua (Document 13-4) describe the Islamic world and its people from the perspective of outsiders. What are their impressions of Islam? What do their accounts suggest about the role of religion in the development of commercial relationships?
  3. Compare the ideals that these sources indicate for men in Japan and China during this period. How were these ideals similar, and how were they different?

From Patricia Buckley Ebrey, ed. and trans., Chinese Civilization and Society: A Sourcebook (New York: Free Press, 1993), 253–255.